


The Wandering Eye

by maracolleenbanks



Category: Dreamwalkers Universe
Genre: Dragons, Gen, Tea Parties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-28 20:14:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11425362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maracolleenbanks/pseuds/maracolleenbanks
Summary: When the ancient dragon Valkhara makes an unexpected appearance at Caitlyn's tea party in Isla Virgo, everyone knows something is seriously amiss.





	The Wandering Eye

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dreamwalkers Universe](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/404328) by Soren Tycho and Mara Colleen Banks. 



There are very few dragons in the dictionary, any dictionary, even the ones written in Draconic. In the Old Draconic Lexicon (Standard Edition) there is only one dragon. She is referenced in the entry for “valkimlischstutlimkeit,” a word that roughly means “portentous” but which in Old Draconic literally translates as “one who is like Valkhara.” Even here, Valkhara is buried deep in etymology because she is an old dragon, and even Old Draconic had a long time to evolve after she came into the fullness of her power. 

Language itself seemed to flow around Valkhara as she stood Caitlyn at her tea party in her house in Isla Virgo. Valkhara wasn’t always the bearer of bad news, but it was, as her word in the Old Draconic Lexicon implied, an event when she deigned to leave her tower and her gardens and engage in what she privately called “frippery.” Most of the Vena who lived near her tower had only seen her once or twice in their entire lives. While the dragon was a great friend of Caitlyn’s, Valkhara much preferred to enjoy her company conversing in private, taking long walks in the flowering labyrinths or ensconced in her library surrounded by leather-bound books, old maps of Pandemonium, and instruments for tracking the movements of the starry seas. 

An appearance in public meant that Valkhara had news that could not wait. Since she mainly concerned herself with cycles that took decades or even centuries to unwind, a discovery that could not wait a few days to be shared in private and then announced in a suitably organized and official manner was news indeed. In the beautifully ordered social dance that surrounded Caitlyn, news that did not fit into the natural order of things was generally very bad news. 

And so, even though it took only a minute or two for Valkhara to greet Caitlyn, it seemed that aeons passed for Caitlyn and her guests. The “oh shit” feeling in the core of every partier’s stomach sprouted, put down roots, went to seed, and produced three generations of offspring in the time it took the dragon to speak.

“Caitlyn,” Valkhara said and bowed her head to such a small degree that Caitlyn’s friends would debate about whether or not she actually bowed for fifty years—though, none of this wondering would happen within earshot of Caitlyn because everyone knew she would be bored of the Great Question of the Bow immediately. 

“Auntie,” she cried and flew from the table and tackled the venerable gold dragon, wrapping her arms around Valkhara’s neck. 

The tittering of Caitlyn’s guests echoed off the gilded floors and alabaster walls and mile-high diamond windows of Caitlyn’s parlor. Auntie? Who would have thought? They say the dragon was her tutor once, but “auntie?” I wonder what I would have to do to warrant such familial affection. Perhaps, Caitlyn is also a dragon?

Even the most stately dignitary would have been able to justify rolling her eyes at this gossip, but Valkhara merely flicked her eyes to the left and right, and Caitlyn got the message. Regaining her dignity and poise, she straightened her tiny hat and clapped her hands.

“There will be tea for my friend,” she said.

An extra chair and tea cup and plate appeared in the place between two guests that a moment before hadn’t had much space at all. 

“Actually,” Valkhara said in Old Draconic. The word shook the windows and fell with gravity sufficient to completely silence the party. “I’d rather speak to you alone” 

This she said in the old language because there were few without scales who bothered to learn the language of the dragons, but Caitlyn spoke Old Draconic flawlessly and asked in the ancient tongue, “Is it very bad?”

“Rocks fall,” Valkhara answered.

Caitlyn looked grim. There was no word in Old Draconic for planet because Old Draconic was older than planets. Every time something in the sky moved, Auntie was reduced to the ridiculous “rocks fall.”

“Really, auntie,” Caitlyn said in Slightly Less Old Draconic, “We need to get you a new dictionary.”

“I am a walking encyclopedia, my dear,” Valkhara said, and Caitlyn smiled. Humility was not one of her family’s values.

Caitlyn clapped her hands again.

“Tea for all,” she said, returning once more to the language of the Vena, and all of the tea cups became full to the brim, “except for my friend and me. We’re stepping out for a walk.”

 

The walked in silence through the willow grove to the rose garden. Caitlyn plucked a perfect pink blossom from a bower as they entered and sat on a bench behind a red rose bush that was almost as tall as the dragon.

“I would invite you to sit,” she said, “but I know you prefer to stand.”

“You may prefer to stand, too, when I have delivered my message, my friend,” Valkhara said. “I have been following the movements of that star. The one that wanders.”

The star in question was not a star exactly, and it was not usually in Valkhara’s nature to be imprecise, but Caitlyn knew she refused to speak the name aloud—though it sounded almost noble in Old Draconic—because it was called the Wandering Eye, and the pun displeased her. There were many planets in the skies of Pandemonium, so technically there were many wandering stars, but Caitlyn knew when she spoke of “the wandering star” she meant one wandering star in particular. 

Caitlyn sat up a little straighter. She had a particular fondness for this star.

“I have been calculating that one’s movements,” Valkhara said, “and I have learned much of its cycle.”

“I think you are mistaken, auntie” Caitlyn said. “That one has no cycle.”

Everyone in Isla Virgo, especially one as attentive to the movements of the stars as Valkhara, knew the motion of that star was entirely erratic. This common knowledge, apparently, was not enough to keep her from trying to see order in its movements.

“You are mistaken, Caitlyn,” she said. “Its cycle repeats every 6.7225 million years. It has completed nearly three complete cycles in my lifetime. I have counted two and a half of them.”

This revelation left Caitlyn momentarily speechless. There was a very good reason for the chaotic nature of that one’s movements, but she could not doubt that if Valkhara said she learned the cycle of the wanderer, she was old, irascible, and thorough enough to find a true pattern even in this.

“Very well,” Caitlyn said. “I congratulate you on your great discovery. It seems I will have to throw another party..”

“You may wish to wait,” Valkhara said. “The discovery of that ones orbit is not the reason I bring you news in this way. My news is of its sudden true erratic movement.”

“You have my sympathy,” Caitlyn said, “but I suspect it may be that the wandering star truly is erratic.”

“Perhaps,” Valkhara said, “I will keep counting. In the meantime, I have come to tell you of an irregularity that—you see, that ones orbit is not generally erratic in this direction.”

“Where is this direction exactly?”

“The willow grove behind you in approximately fifteen seconds.”

Caitlyn stood and turned to look behind her. A roaring like the sound of a thousand bass guitars ricocheted off the curved diamond windows and alabaster walls and labyrinths and precisely trimmed rose bushes as a great gray sphere plummeted toward the rose garden, picking up speed as it went until it suddenly stopped 8.253 feet above the ground. Through the windshield, two sets of arms were just visible, flailing mad waved greetings.

Caitlyn narrowed her eyes at the hovering craft and said, “You’re late.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you are intrigued by the world of this story, you may enjoy the worldbuilding articles by the Dreamwalkers creators on [dreamwalkersuniverse.com](http://www.dreamwalkersuniverse.com/worldbuilding-resources/).


End file.
